ybgirp,

You asked: "Are you afraid of being labelled?" I am labelled. I am part of a group that has been excluded, prevented from pursuing our interests, choices and passions - in education. In addition, some people I know are in fear of acting in their and their children's best interests, and as teachers.

I'm not afraid. The State actively monitors us, and will go to any length to make us fear them and stop us from doing what is right and that works for us, even at our own financial cost. However, people I know are fearful of the likely effects of speaking out against the State's denial of our rights and their oppression and repression of us. My family and friends have lost so much at the hands of an intolerant State government. I've most recently suffered the indignity of having a cloud over my head by being on bail for some 7 months as a result of a criminal charge brought by the State, about which they eventually decided not to produce evidence, and dropped the charge, simply because along with other parents I exercised my internationally accepted (except in Australia) human rights in education. As is typical of the State there was never an apology for their actions. The State acts with impunity against people using their power, control, might, resources and money. They've yet to be held to account for their actions. Minorities have long experienced this.

Apart from our suffering and losses, about which you may hear more over time, the most glaring recent and obvious example of discrimination and denial of human rights was that of the 10 year old indigenous Australian girl on Cape York.

You said: "your explanation would benefit from examples of anti-human rights legislation ..." Examples of specific legislation (and associated ancillary Regulations) in Queensland includes, but is not limited to:
- Education (General Provisions) Act 2006
- Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian Act 2000
- Child protection Act 1999
- Education (Queensland Studies Authority) Act 2002
- Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2001.

I'll take a guess... you want to educate your children at home?
I am well aware of the power and aggressive persecution of the state, having been born a criminal, and legally considered to be one until the age of fifty, when laws demanding the persecution of same-sex-oriented people were rescinded. Legal discrimination against me persists, as you are no doubt aware.
I share your horror at the treatment of the girl you mention, and have registered my concerns with the government, as I requently do when I become aware of human rights abuses, such as Stolen Wages...
I wish you well.

No, we want our children and others to learn in a School of our choice, that accords with our values and is a participatory democratic, human rights and responsibilities based, sustainable school. One that acknowledges and supports racial, social, cultural and spiritual diversity and encourages the equal treatment of all people irrespective of race, religion, gender, age, ability, sexual preference, political orientation or economic background.

We would provide the campus, the facilities (building them as necessary), resources, Staff and self-fund the School, not for profit. This is just as we did from 1996 when the School first started after 2 years intensive work by 7 committees.

We were far more foolish then, believing that we were entitled to State funding, and that there ought to be "mutual obligation", in providing a little of taxpayers' funds, far less than was and is paid to State Schools. We have been taught a lot by the State since then, especially not to trust the State. Accepting State funds meant intolerable intrusions into our day to day operation, the purposeful erosion of the democratic and human rights principles of our Constitutional democracy, which had been known to and approved by State and federal Governments in 1995/6, and the continuous almost annual inspections and moving of the goal posts, all intended to coerce us into becoming undemocratic and denying our human rights obligations to young people, parents and staff.

You obviously understand that like other persecuted minorities, we have lost so much, including one quarter of my life and a lot of money, working on and developing a thriving dynamic, reflective democratic learning culture, something great for young people, who thrived, and grew immensely, proudly and over the long term were successful people. To see what we aspire to check our sister school, the Sudbury Valley School www.sudval.org/ and also Summerhill School www.summerhillschool.co.uk/

Geoffrey Robertson QC represented Summerhill to gain justice in England, but we have not been able to do the same in Queensland, because the government's legislation deliberately prevents us, and our human rights are not yet legislated.

I wish you well also.

This is tragic. When I first heard of Summerhill as a child I read all I could about it and yearned to go to such a school. That bureaucracy and red tape should foil such a plan to educate children is sickening.
The spirit of Joh suffocates everything still in Queensland.

In fact I would have thought that the courts in Australia have enough laws in place to protect its citizens. Trouble is the clever (sneaky)interpretations of the law often fail to protect innocent members of the community. What will a Bill of Rights do ? My guess is that it will look good on paper but the same rights will be argued and be interpreted to suit the legislators of the day. This will ensure that any attempts to make significant progress will be blocked. One such injustice comes to mind and that's when Liam Magill in Melbourne put his faith in the 'system' in the hope that a 'just decision' would be handed down to stop women like Meredith McClelland - Magill from perpetrating the horrendous crime of paternity fraud. Every one of Liam Magill's basic human rights were violated and the High Court of Australia rubber stamped the injustices that he suffered by white washing his case in Nov 2006. A fine example of what we can look forward to. All will be revealed in the up and coming book ' Days of Tempest'
Cheryl King
Enduring Power of Attorney for Liam Magill

It is good for citizens to constantly discuss and seek to implement an Australian Bill or Charter of Rights. In the meantime, Australia could use and apply the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, as an example for universal application by nations and for all Australians to know well. Knowledge and acceptance of a short version would be a better citizenship test than a test of mostly trivial information that most of us would fail. Here are the first 259 words of a total of 950 words of a shortened version:

Freedom, justice and peace are founded on the inborn dignity and equal rights of all human beings, protected by the rule of law.

Article I. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They have reason and conscience to act to each other as brothers and sisters.

2. These rights and freedoms are for everyone, no matter what race, colour, sex, language, religion, opinions, origins, wealth or birth, and in all countries.

3. All have the right to life, liberty and personal safety.

4. No slavery in any form.

5. No torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

6-8. Everyone is equal before the law, to have the equal protection of the law to maintain their basic rights.

9 No arrest, detention or exile without just cause and public knowledge.

10 Fair and public trials.

11. The right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty. No-one can be held guilty of a penal offence that was not an offence at the time, or given a heavier punishment than what was legal at the time.

12. The right to the protection of the law against all arbitrary interference with privacy, or attacks on reputation.

13. Freedom to move within the borders of each state, and the right to leave any country, including your own, and to return home.

14. The right to seek and find in other countries asylum from persecution (except for non-political crimes or acts against the purposes and principles of the United Nations.)

(http://home.vicnet.net.au/~ozideas/humrights.htm)